HELP!! Need chicken-safe slug deterrent!

[nikki1]

So...I live in the cool, damp western Washington state, where if we don't keep moving we'll all rust shut! (Actually, I'm from the Mojave Desert, so I love the wet. I'm just setting the stage, here.)

So slugs here are simply ENORMOUS! When I say 8-9 inches long, I'm not in any way exaggerating. They're big, slimy, disgusting, and they're everywhere. My garden is fenced off from the chickens, but sometimes the kids forget to shut the gate, so slug bait is simply not an option. I've heard that beer works, too, but for religious reasons beer is out, too. I tried copper strips on the edge of the raised beds a few years back, but it had no apparent effect.

Short of going out every morning and slug tossing or slug salting, what have you tried that works that won't hurt the chickens?

Thanks in advance!

--Nikki

 

[Chick Charm]

Copper. I have seen gardens in Eugene Oregon with copper bands around garden buckets and garden beds. I saw that some of the wire trellis stands had copper wrapped around them. I was told it was to keep slugs off. Copper is spendy so it must work or someone really wasted their money.

 

[chickenstricken]

I just bought and tried Sluggo. It says it's safe around pets, but it's referring to cats and dogs, I don't know about chickens.

Since chickens eat darn near everything, I don't know if any bait is safe around them.

 

[animallover505]

I've heard diatomaceous earth works, and I know that very course sand would probably work.

 

[chickenstricken]

Good call. That might be your best bet.

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth (Also known as "Insect Dust") is the sharp, jagged skeletal remains of microscopic creatures. It lacerates soft-bodied pests, causing them to dehydrate. A powdery granular material, it can be sprinkled around garden beds or individual plants, and can be mixed with water to make a foliar spray.

Diatomaceous earth is less effective when wet, so use during dry weather. Wear protective gear when applying, as it can irritate eyes and lungs. Be sure to buy natural or agricultural grade diatomaceous earth, not pool grade which has smoother edges and is far less effective. [/FONT]

 

[animallover505]

or just feed them to the chickens. Mine love them, but some won't eat them. If they don't eat them, you can chop up the slugs, eventually they'll start eating them.

 

[nikki1]

Hmm...I even have a bag of diamotaceous earth for The Girls' dust bath. I'll have to truck some on out there. Naturally, it's raining, though, so maybe some sand from the run today, and DE later in the week when the rain lets up.

 

[lazy gardener]

I've used sluggo for years. The only active ingredient is iron phosphate. Just starting with chickens this year. Would love to have any expert weigh in re: safety of iron phosphate re: chickens. We have huge slugs here in Maine as well, and my yard is overwhelmed with land snails as well. I garden under mulch which exacerbates the slug problem, but I am not about to give up my precious time dealing with weeds on naked soil. You could always try to develop a gourmet market for slugs, or perhaps design a saddle for them, and book them as a rodeo sport.

 

[PDQCampbell]

I am told that All Purpose Flour is suppose to deter slugs, and of course is a natural product, so we intend to use some in the garden this summer (mostly on the cabbage), but I have no data on how well it does or doesn't work.

 

[gramakoko]

If you take chunks of watermelon rind, place it in your garden turned upside down. In the morning the slugs will be gathered under them. Then just remove them. It's easy and best of all it's natural.